Townhouses For Sale in Rolling Acres, Whitby

A 1990s plan with a trail down the middle

Rolling Acres was laid out as planned, low-density housing, and about 45 percent of its buildings went up between 1990 and 2000, with the rest from the 1980s through the 2000s. Detached two-storey brick homes dominate, with bungalows and townhouses mixed in and very few apartments.

A trail system runs north-south through the neighbourhood and links to a large part of Whitby's green belt. Darren Park has a playground and splash area, Jack Wilson Park has sports fields, and Rolling Acres Park has a ball diamond.

Rolling Acres townhouses at 25 to 35 years old

Most Rolling Acres townhouses are freehold, and at this age the original components are reaching the end of their lives at about the same time. Before you firm up, find out the age of these items, ideally with receipts:

• Furnace and central air, often original or on their second unit.
• Windows, where early vinyl units can lose their seals and fog between panes.
• Roof shingles, likely on their second set; on a shared roof line, ask what the neighbours have done.
• Hot water tank, and whether it's owned or rented. A rental contract transfers to you on closing.
• Garage door, opener and the slab, which can crack and heave at this age.

None of these is unusual. The point is to price them into your offer instead of discovering them in your first winter.

Thickson, Dryden and Taunton for daily errands

Shopping is on the edges. Thickson Square and Dryden Square have grocery stores, pharmacies and pet stores. There's a Metro at Thickson and Taunton Road East and a No Frills at Thickson and Dryden, plus a Lowe's and other big-box retail on the north side of Taunton Road East.

From most Rolling Acres streets, those are short drives or longer walks along the trail. Having big-box and grocery shopping clustered on Thickson and Taunton keeps through-traffic mostly on the perimeter roads, which is part of why the interior streets stay quiet.

Bus or drive: the Rolling Acres commute

Bus routes run from Thickson and Dryden squares to downtown Whitby and Oshawa, and north-south service runs along Thickson Road. From inside the neighbourhood, though, you may walk 10 to 15 minutes to reach a stop on Rossland, Dryden or Taunton, so most households drive.

The 401 is reached via the Thickson Road interchange, and Whitby GO is a drive south and west. For the 407, drivers head north or use the toll-free 412 on the west side of town. Rolling Acres works best for buyers who drive to work or to the train, and who value a quiet street over walking distance to transit.

Rolling Acres for families moving up

Rolling Acres tends to draw families moving up from a condo or a smaller town, drawn by the parks, the trail and quiet interior streets. A freehold townhouse here gives them a yard and a garage at a lower entry point than the surrounding detached houses.

If schools matter, check the boundaries for the exact street with the Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board, since neighbourhoods on the edge of a boundary can be split between schools. Boundaries can also shift as new schools open.